A strong arctic cold front moved across west Texas and southeast New Mexico during the afternoon and evening hours of the 23rd. Meanwhile, a potent upper-level trough neared the region from the west.
Every event with a place to put it; 8 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS MAF wrote it up.
A strong arctic cold front moved across west Texas and southeast New Mexico during the afternoon and evening hours of the 23rd. Meanwhile, a potent upper-level trough neared the region from the west. Widespread rain began during the morning of the 23rd in western portions of the area and gradually transitioned eastward through the day. As the front moved across the area, rain transitioned to sleet and snow from north to south (with freezing rain being more common south of the Pecos River and in the Davis Mountains). Off and on bands of sleet and snow continued across the Permian Basin and southeast New Mexico on the 24th, and became mostly snow by the 25th before moving east of the area late in the afternoon. Snowfall/sleet totals reached winter storm criteria across much of the northern basin and in southeast New Mexico. Lower snow and ice totals were reported further south.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Midland/Odessa, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 23, 4:49 AM MST, 1 hour 56 minutes earlier.
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</html>The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
5 winter storm, 3 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
A member of the public reported 6.0 inches of snow by the afternoon of the 25th. The total duration of the event is estimated from radar.
A trained spotter relayed a report from Facebook of 4 inches of snowfall over two days near Queen. The total duration of the event is estimated from radar.
A newspaper reported a two-day total of 3.8 inches of sleet/snow near Hobbs. The total duration of the event is estimated from radar and nearby AWOS reports.
A member of the public reported an estimated 3.0-3.5 inches of snow on Facebook. The estimation was based on a measuring stick. The total duration of the event is estimated from radar and nearby AWOS reports.
A combined total of 0.5 inches of sleet and freezing rain was reported in Carlsbad by a trained spotter. 0.4 inches of sleet and 0.1 inches of ice accumulation was measured. The start of the event was estimated by radar and spotter reports.
A trained spotter reported a two-day storm total snow/sleet accumulation of 4.3 inches with a liquid equivalent of 0.89 inches. Light snow continued after the report came in. The total duration of the event is estimated by radar and the spotter's reports.
A member of the public reported 6.5 inches of snow on Facebook north of Artesia over two days. The total duration of the event is estimated from radar and spotter reports.
Around 5-8 inches of snowfall totals have been reported across Artesia. 5 inches was reported at the Artesia Municipal Airport, while localized spots north of town had higher amounts. The total duration of the event is estimated from radar and spotter reports.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, January 2026
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1306514, 1306526, 1306511, 1306512, 1306517, 1306523, 1306531, 1306534.